


Number Eight

by DRAMAtical_Panda



Category: Angel Beats!
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Cute, Feels, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Love Confessions, M/M, Sad, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-28
Updated: 2016-03-28
Packaged: 2018-05-29 16:55:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6384721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DRAMAtical_Panda/pseuds/DRAMAtical_Panda
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Otonashi is teaching Naoi how to use a bow and arrow.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Number Eight

**Author's Note:**

> ***NOTE: (spoiler-ish) This takes place before Otonashi knew about the obliteration and rest in peace thing. Also, Angel and Otonashi aren't a thing.**********
> 
>  
> 
> Song: "Just Stay" by A Skylit Drive

_Twang!_

 

_Swf!_

 

“Otonashi! I can’t do it right!” Naoi’s eyes were narrowed and watery, as he gripped the bow tight enough to turn his small knuckles white. “Aren’t guns enough anyway?”

 

“Think of the bow and arrow as a sniper. You are aiming for accuracy and stealthiness.”

 

Otonashi patted the ravenette’s back, and he straightened his posture out, extending his arm and aligning the arrow with the string, looking down the head and aiming for the tree about fifteen yards ahead. With his shoulders back and his chin up, he pulled back on the tail and took a moment to stabilize the sway he had in his arm, before releasing the arrow, sending it whizzing toward the tree.

 

_Thud!_

 

“Yes! I finally did it!” Naoi cheered as he turned to the taller man next to him, beaming like he just won a gold medal in the Olympics.

 

“Nice! One more time.” Otonashi patted down the black flyaway strand and smiled. It had been a couple of days since Naoi first picked up a bow and arrow. The past few days proved that he was, in fact, a quick learner with high intuition and enthusiasm.

 

Feeling confident, Naoi stared down the stem of the arrow and pulled back, taking a shaky breaths with his slumped shoulders tensing.

 

His concentration was shattered when Otonashi’s hand pressed up against the small of is back, his breath felt hot against his nape, as a low “Easy there, Naoi” was whispered into his ear. Nap knew Otonashi had intended those words to relax him, but instead, his words had the opposite effect. Naoi’s heart fluttered as a tiny whimper escaped his throat.

 

“Focus on the target, and do what you did before.” The taller man tipped Naoi’s chin up, and ran his other hand from the small of his back up to his shoulder blades, gently straightening Naoi’s posture. “Take your time. We have this area reserved all to ourselves. There is no need to rush.

 

Naoi whined as he lowered the bow, leaning against a boulder next to them. “I can’t focus.”

 

Otonashi’s features softened, the light wind tossing his autumn orange hair, before dying down and leaving the feathery hair to fall back into place. The sun casted shadows of the foliage surrounding them onto his supple ivory skin.

 

“Is something distracting you?”

 

Naoi’s eyes averted,m his pale cheeks growing a light dusting of pink. “You’re…uh..”

 

Otonashi took a step back. “I’m sorry, I can stop-“

 

“No! Stay.” Naomi reached out to grab Otonashi’s wrist and pulled him closer, moving Otonashi’s hand back to the small of his back. “Keep doing that.”

 

The puzzled look on Otonashi’s face disappeared when he realized what was distracting Naoi. The two wordlessly stood there searching each other’s eyes for a sense of mutual understanding. The ravenette was about to use hypnosis to reap at least something- _anything -_ out of the man next to him. Anything to fill the silence between them.

 

“Are….are you mad?” Naoi’s voice was tiny, the pals of his hands sweating, he couldn’t imagine what his face looked like at the moment.

 

Otonashi rubbed Naoi’s back and pulled him into a hug. “Why would I be angry?”

 

“….We’re both…you know, guys, and-“

 

“Lets make a deal,” Otonashi let go of Naoi and took a step back, “Stick six more arrows into that tree, and I’ll let you in on a little secret.”

 

Naomi nodded and picked up the bow and arrow, and straightened out.

 

_I have to know. I have to know. I have to know._

 

Aiming for the tree, he shot the arrow, and it easily pierced the trunk of the giant oak trunk, bark snapping and falling to the ground, and splintering up at the impact of the point breaking through.

 

“Good. Five more” Naoi reached into the cylinder container holding the set of arrows numbered one through eight, and grabbed number three. Aligning the notch of the tail with the elastic wire, he sent the arrow flying with determined afterglow of his previous shot.

 

This time, the wind blew the arrow to the right, the point sticking into the grass behind the target. Sighing, Naoi went to pick it up, and returned to his spot, and realigned it. The second time,it did the same thing, the crosswind picking up right when Naoi released. Three tries. Four tries. Arrow number three kept veering to the right, even when Naoi waited for the right time for the wind to stop. It would just pick up when he sent the arrow flying. As if the wind was taunting him.

 

“Dammit!” Naoi stomped to fetch stubborn number three, pouting about how unfair the situation had become.

 

“Hey now,” Otonashi stuffed his hands into his pockets and stood to the left of the tree, “If you don’t want me hurt, hit the target.”

 

Naomi tried to refuse, but Otonashi held his hand up, indicating that he won’t change his mind. The ravenette was on the verge of tears/ “What if I hit you?”

 

“I won’t die or anything-“

 

“How do you know? You could get oblitera-“

 

“Naoi!” Otonashi raised his voice and the smaller man flinched. “Load upland shoot the damn arrow.”

 

Setting the arrow in place, he aimed to the left of the tree, expecting the wind to blow it off course. His arm swayed and the sound of his pounding heartbeat was deafening.Taking an extra couple of seconds to collect himself, he took a deep breath and let go.

 

_Whzz_

 

The wind,of course, blew right when Naoi released the arrow, and this time, the wind whistled, stronger than before.

 

_Shit shit shit._

 

Time seemed to slow down, as Naoi dreaded the pained cry of the arrowhead piercing through Otonashi’s skin.

 

_Thud!_

 

An audible sigh of relief came from Otonashias the arrow stuck into the tree.

 

Naomi grabbed number four, and did the same thing. _Whzz. Thud. Sigh._ Repeat. Four arrows were soon sticking out of the tree. 

 

“Two down, four to go.”

 

Otonashi braced himself, and each time, Naoi would successfully hit the target.

 

…

 

Number seven was finally in Naoi’s hand,and was pointing to the left of the target. Number six had fell short a couple times, poking the grass infant or next to the tree, but other than that, and the soreness of Naoi’s shoulder, he had a good run so far. Otonashi was unharmed, six arrows in a tree, only two left.

 

_I think I got the hang of it._

 

Naomi released the arrow, and the wind didn’t pick up at all. The arrow landed in the grass to the left of the tree.

 

“It’s alright. Give it another try.” Otonashi bent over to pick up the arrow and tossed it back to Naoi, then returend to his spot next tho the tree.

 

“O-okay.”The revenue stared down the stem, and aimed to the left of the target.The result was the same. No wind.

 

“Alright,” Naoi retrieved the arrow and set the bow, and aimed directly at the target. A straight path. “This time, I’ll make it.”

 

_This time, a bullseye. Right in the middle of the other six._

 

He licked his lips, and let go of the arrow, but this time, the wind picked up, and the arrow’s trajectory changed. Before either one of them could act, the arrow pierced through Otonashi’s midsection.

 

A choked scream was all Otonashi could manage, his white dress shirt blossoming a deep crimson.

 

“Otonashi!!” Naoi dropped the bow and ran to him, tears instantly rolling down his flushed cheeks, his onyx hair clinging to his face.

 

“I’m..I’m fine.” A hoarse whisper turned into an airy chuckle, as an attempt to lighten the mood. His body throbbed, the feeling of being torn apart inside made even the slightest movement excruciating. The skin where the blood covered felt warm, and for a split second, his mind went blank, before snapping back to reality.The pounding in his head worsened a sa sense of vertigo washed over him.

 

“Please don’t move!” Naoi ripped the shirt apart, until his hands came intocontact with the bloodied skin and torn flesh.

 

“Just…” Otonashi’s faced pinched as he gripped the step of the arrow into his fist and pushed it down, the arrowhead ripping his insides apart. He tried to hold back the scream waiting to escape his lips, red clouding his vision and the potent taste of iron assaulting his senses. His nostrils flared with each strained breath, the stench of blood sending him into a nauseating panic.

 

“Stop! Oto-“ Naoi squeezed his eyes shut, to clear his vision of the tears, allowing the next round to roll down his cheeks.

 

“Number…eight.”

 

Naomi had to process what Otonashi had just said. “Otonashi! You-“

 

“This isn’t my final request…”Otonashi was on the brink of unconsciousness. There was something important he had to tell Naoi first, because if by chance, he does get obliterated for some reason, Naoi had to get his hands on that eighth arrow.Driving the arrow further into his own body would put him out of his misery soon enough to wake up in a hospital bed, to talk with Naoi, without the poor kid seeing him bleeding to death.

 

Naoi angrily stood upland stormed to where the eighth arrow was stored, and grabbed it. Running to the tree, he stabbed the oak with it. Before he could say anything else, he noticed a piece of paper rolled around the stem.

 

“What’s this…?” Unrolling the note, he tried to read what was written on it through the tears that blurred his vision. He blinked away the tears and wiped his eyes with his sleeves. His eyes widened as he read what was written on it.

 

**_Naoi,_ **

 

**_Will you go out with me?_ **

 

Naomi choked out a “yes”, his eyes squeezing shut again, a sob wrecking his body and catching in his burning throat. “Yes. Yes. Of course I will.”

 

But when he opened his eyes, the man bleeding in his arms had already vanished.

 

 

-*+-*+-*+-*+-*+-*+-*+-*+-*+-*+-*+-*+

 

 

Otonashi woke up to the brightness of the “hospital” room full of boxes. Familiar white sheets are pulled over his body up to his shoulders. Except, the one thing out of place was the man sleeping next to him.

 

“Naomi..” Otonashi turned to face the sleeping mass, running his fingers through the tangles in his onyx hair. “What was your answer?”

 

Naoi twitched, as he mumbled tiredly in his sleep. “Yes.”

 

“Sorry to make you worry.” He kissed Naoi’s nose and the sleepwalker shifted. “and thank you.”

 

“..Forever?”

 

“Yes.” Otonashi pulled Naoi into his arms and started to drift off into sleep himself. “Forever.”

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Check out my Wattpad: @DRAMAtical_Panda


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